Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver Yifei Ye is set to make his Porsche debut in the upcoming Asian Le Mans Series (Asian LMS), competing with reigning GT champions Herberth Motorsport in a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Yifei will be joined by Antares Au and Porsche driver Klaus Bachler, with the pair teaming up for the second Asian LMS season in succession, having raced for Herberth Motorsport in the series in 2021.

21-year-old Yifei had a stellar 2021 season, winning both the Asian and European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 category. At the Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Night of Champions in Shanghai last October, Yifei was announced as the 2022 Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver. As part of the programme, he will receive support towards his 2022 campaign, in addition to coaching from former factory driver Sascha Maassen as well as physical, fitness and media training.

Hong Kong-based Au began racing with Porsche in 2017 in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, before moving up the Porsche pyramid to the 911 GT3 R. In recent years, he has taken part in the Dubai 24 Hour, Asian Le Mans Series and 24 Hours of Spa with the German marque.

The 2022 Asian Le Mans Series starts at the Dubai Autodrome with a double-header event on 12-13 February, before concluding with two races at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi the following weekend.

The series will be Yifei’s first in his new role, as well as marking Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s first racing activities of the 2022 season. Further details on Yifei’s 2022 programme will be released in due course.

Yifei Ye, #33 Herberth Motorsport: “I am very excited to be taking part in my first series as the Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver. I’ve been preparing well over the winter and I’m looking forward to getting to know the team and my teammates, and we’ll be pushing hard for a positive result. The level of competition in the GT category is set to be very high, so it will be a challenge but I’m relishing the chance to push myself in the car. I know the championship and the venues quite well, so hopefully I can use that to my advantage. I raced in Asian LMS last year in LMP2 and won on my endurance racing debut, so I’m hoping to repeat that success.”

Antares Au, #33 Herberth Motorsport: “I am thrilled to build upon our experience at Asian LMS, despite ongoing challenges with pandemic travel. As drivers and team, we feel we are well-equipped to deliver a strong performance in our second year running together. We have a strong line-up with Klaus and Yifei, and a super quick Porsche 911 GT3 R prepared by Herberth Motorsport. We are all keen to have the opportunity to race in these uncertain times, and I look forward to furthering the footprint of Hong Kong in high-level international motorsport.”

Klaus Bachler, #33 Herberth Motorsport: “I'm really looking forward to being back in the Asian Le Mans Series. With Antares and Yifei, we have a powerful and competitive driver line-up. Herberth Motorsport are one of the best teams on the grid, and they have a lot of experience in the championship. In my view, the competition is even stronger than last year, so I expect a tough and close fight between many teams for victory.”

Alfred Renauer, Herberth Motorsport Team Manager: “It's our second season in the Asian Le Mans Series and we're very motivated after last year's success. We have a great line-up so the target is to win the title again. We are very happy to welcome Yifei to our team, completing a strong trio with Antares and Klaus.”

Sky Qiao, Vice President of Marketing, Porsche China: “We’re looking forward to seeing Yifei debut with Porsche next month in the Asian Le Mans Series. Porsche is a brand driven by dreams and that’s what we try to bring to our customers, alongside developing young talent to help them achieve their goals on the track. It’s exciting to be working with such a promising Chinese driver and we can’t wait to see him take his first steps as the Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver.”

Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd: “It’s fantastic to see Yifei prepare for his first event as the Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver, kicking off what is set to be an exciting 2022 season. We’re excited to see him compete in the upcoming Asian Le Mans Series, and for him to be part of such a strong line-up with Antares and Klaus. We have full confidence in Yifei and we’re keen to see what he can do in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

“Antares is the perfect example of what Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific aims to achieve when it comes to helping drivers ascend the motorsport ladder and competing on the international stage. His racing journey with Porsche began five years ago in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, and since then he has worked his way up to where he is now and will compete with two very talented professional drivers next month.”